demolishes

present tense third-person singular of demolish
1
2
as in shatters
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of most of the buildings in the town had been demolished in the bombing raid

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
as in smashes
to cause to break open or into pieces by or as if by an explosive terrorists used a powerful pipe bomb to demolish the concrete wall around the compound

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of demolishes An $8,000 Ryvid Anthem or a $10,000 Maeving RM1S will deliver broadly similar urban usability, while the $12,500 Zero FXE absolutely demolishes it on power-per-dollar. Utkarsh Sood june 12, New Atlas, 12 June 2026 The latest filing demolishes the timeworn claim that DOGE was infiltrated into Social Security in order to responsibly ferret out fraud and overspending. Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026 If the city demolishes the building, the costs will be assessed to the property owner. Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 30 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demolishes
Verb
  • T cells, a type of immune cell that detects and destroys infected or abnormal cells, normally perform this inspection.
    William A. Haseltine, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The white dwarf emits radiation and produces a giant gas bubble—the lion’s face—that destroys dust in its path.
    Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 12 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • But before any collective exhale can commence, the mood shatters.
    Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Inadvertently, our entry shatters the glass ceiling, since Georgia and I are the only girls there.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • That is less than half as many as the set that produced many of his signature smashes and turned him into a chart-topper.
    Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • For now, Paramount isn’t producing the billion-dollar box office smashes that drive millions of butts into theater seats (not to mention robust sales of novelty popcorn buckets).
    Todd Spangler, Variety, 9 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • But what happens if the Epstein-files story razes the entire forest, torching whatever trust is left in the political establishment, the Democratic Party very much included?
    Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Nothing ruins a relationship faster than finding out your girlfriend, who’s actually the entire world, stole your frozen eggs.
    Reshma Gopaldas, IndieWire, 10 Aug. 2026
  • When porch days turn into nights, nothing ruins the vibe of an evening gathering or solo wind-down faster than a blinding flashlight or hunting for an outlet.
    Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • But first, the premiere settles the audience into a tried and true cop drama with power struggles over jurisdiction, a local militia led by a man with his own agenda, and a suspect who literally blows the case wide open.
    Sabrina Reed, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • The next chance of showers and storms arrives Thursday and lingers through the end of the workweek as much muggier-feeling weather blows back into Maryland.
    Cutter Martin, CBS News, 16 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • As climate chaos causes oceans to swallow coastlands, and as surging water displaces and devastates communities, social survival will demand that people find ways to live and work with – and on – the water.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The urban planner and former professor also knows what happens next after a powerful earthquake devastates whole communities.
    Luis Giraldo, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • That’s because even ordinary winds – and far worse, storms and earthquakes – cause tall buildings to sway, which ruins people’s concentration, wrecks their mood, and even exhausts them.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 24 July 2026
  • As is the case with the Delta Aquarids, the moon, only one day past full, unfortunately, wrecks any chances of getting any decent views this year.
    Joe Rao, Space.com, 18 July 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Demolishes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demolishes. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster